It’s all over bar the memories.
I have been involved in all Middle Sea Races since 1996 and I’m convinced that this was the best of them all with a new record of 83 yachts from 19 countries.
Another milestone was the outstanding performance of the Maltese contingent, featuring only eight boats, against the might of the remaining entries.
Once again Malta has captured the Nations Cup thanks to the determined efforts of the best three local boats – namely XP-Act, GasanMamo Comanche Raider and Artie RTFX, last year’s RMSR winners.
South Africa have taken over 40 years to hit the headlines in this Mediterranean classic as they’ve just become the ninth nation to etch their name on the Trophy.
Eddie De Villiers, skipper of the Welbourne 46 boat Hi Fidelity, was overjoyed by his crew’s win and while promising to return, he appreciated both the high level of organisation and hospitality. Above all, he suggested that winning the Middle Sea Race is the pinnacle of every skipper in today’s modern racing.
Booth Mitch Swiss, skipper of Kuka Light, admitted that his navigator ranks this course as the most exciting and most strenuous in the world, even though he took part in seven editions of the famous Sydney-Hobart Race.
In fact, the Rolex Middle Sea Race was, once again, showered with appreciative comments from well-known and experienced skippers and crew members – the best race course in the world, the most hazardous with long tedious hours for lack of wind, skies that suddenly scare the daylights out of every crew with barrage of thunders and lighting and to cap it all, to deal with savage gusts of 35 to 45 knots.
This is what makes this course spectacularly pleasant to race past the various adventurous picturesque backdrops – two active volcanos and 19 islands on the way.
More than this, this special edition entertained once more the luxury of maxi yacht Esimit Europa 2 that equalled the record of the Italian yacht Benbow (1975-1977) after winning the Line Honours for three consecutive years (2010-12).
The Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) is indebted to Esimit Europa 2 owner Igor Simcic who presented a remarkable trophy to our Commodore, Godwin Zammit.
The trophy is to be given to the boat that betters their mark of 68hours 43min 24secs which his maxi yacht established prior to the Middle Sea Race – a 700nm passage record from Trieste to Malta.
Undoubtedly, this is an added incentive to promote our classical race course as whoever wins this trophy will end up racing the Rolex Middle Sea Race afterwards.
Another new trophy introduced this year is for the best Russian boat due to the large fleet that came from Russia to try their luck in the Mediterranean.
Out of the limelight this year were the Italians who fielded their biggest fleet with 29 boats, followed by two strong teams from Russia and UK of 12 boats each, with Germany (7), Austria (6) and Croatia (4) forming the backbone of this outstanding 33rd edition.
There is every reason to believe that, in the next two years, the participation record will hit a century of entries, thus creating a nice headache for the club.
Admittedly, the RMYC struggled this year to solve this berthing problem and had to split the whole fleet into two marinas and the club’s pontoons.
More maxi and mini maxi yachts will be expected to join and there will be more new countries interested in this global recognition race in the maritime fraternity.
It is time for the powers-that-be to smarten up by investing in more safe marinas with the explicit vision of protecting the Marsamxett Harbour with the much-needed breakwater at Tigné Point. This would eventually ensure economic revenue by creating elaborate docking for both super yachts and pleasant boats around the Sliema harbour.
It would also guarantee the yearly financial revenue the Rolex Middle Sea Race generates.
It’s all there for the taking and if ever this appeal is heeded, then Marsamxett Harbour will turn out to be the most important strategic marina in the middle of the Mediterranean.